Top Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

I believe in thick eyeliner: The kind that covers up your entire bottom eyelid, and fits perfectly under the bottom eyelashes. I believe in the kind that allows you to cover up flaws, and allows you to feel more comfortable with yourself. I believe that my eyeliner defines who I am. I was adopted from Seoul, South Korea when I was only six months old. My parents were Caucasian, and so were 95% of the town I grew up in. When I was little, people would ask my parents if I could speak Chinese. My mom would find it humorous because no six month old would know how to speak a foreign language yet. I was stripped of my “Asian identity” and quickly transformed into a Caucasian. I went to school with mostly whites, a few African-Americans, and Latinos, but never more than two or three Asians. I only had white friends growing up. When I would get an A on a math test, they would poke fun at me by telling me how “Asian” I was. I believe I am a good student, not because of my race, but because I work hard. People would make jokes about how I liked to eat rice, but knew nothing about where it came from. I didn’t like being known as just another “white girl,” because I’m not. I am Korean and an Asian American. Sometimes, I would ask my parents if I could take a Korean Language class, but they told me that English is the only language I need to know. If I questions about my adoption process or about the Asian culture, they would be offended because I was somehow insulting their way of life. I don’t want to know about where I came from because I am not satisfied with America, but because I believe it is important to know your heritage. Growing up, I felt like I couldn’t relate to either one of my identities. I never befriended the other Asians because I was ashamed. I spoke no other language other than English, and I was not brought up in an Asian environment. Instead, I observed the way the other Asian girls talked, dressed, and wore their makeup. I soon realized that we barely had anything in common. But when I look in the mirror, I see my eyes that are outlined in thick eyeliner. I know that the other Asian girls are wearing eye make up as well. It may seem a bit of a stretch, but I believe that eyeliner allows me to stay true to my heritage. Because when I look across the room and see another Asian girl wearing the same perfect semi-circle of eyeliner right at the upper eyelid and another right below her lower eyelashes I feel like I could belong in the “Asian crowd.” I believe in thick eyeliner because it is the one thing that connects my two worlds.

Essay of the Week

On August 28, 1963, Benita Porter went with her mother to attend the March on Washington. It was during Dr. King’s spellbinding message of hope, love, and the universality of mankind that Ms. Porter was inspired by the belief that words—her own words—could arouse passion, change minds, and bring about social change. Click here to read her essay.

What Students Believe

Throughout the school year, young people around the world write statements of belief as a classroom exercise. And thousands of those students have submitted their essays to our series. Click here to read a sampling of what young people believe.